"The Russians’ interests are frankly to delegitimize our entire presidency," Hill stated in response to a line of questioning from Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff during her public impeachment hearing. "So one issue that I do want to raise, and I think this would resonate with our colleagues on the committee from the Republican Party, is that the goal of the Russians was really to put whoever became the president, by trying to tip their hands on one side of the scale, under a cloud."
"So if Secretary, former First Lady, former Senator Clinton had been elected as president, as indeed many expected in the run-up to the election in 2016, she too would have had major questions about her legitimacy," she continued. "I think that what we’re seeing here as a result of all of these narratives is exactly what the Russian government was hoping for."
"Perceived misinformation, perceived doubt, they have everybody questioning the legitimacy of a presidential candidate, be it President Trump or potentially a President Clinton, that they would pit one side of our electorate against the other, they would pit one party against the other, and that’s why I wanted to make such a strong point at the very beginning."
Hill further emphasized the "need to be very careful as we discuss all of these issues not to give them more fodder that they can use against us in 2020."